Farewell To Manzanar: Book Review

Book Review: Farewell to Manzanar
By: Trent Smith

Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D. Houston, is based on a real event book during World War II. It is a fantastic book about a seven year old girl named Jeanne Wakatsuki that was captured and sent to Manzanar because of the war. She was then sent to an interment camp, with the rest of her family by her side. She shows the adventures that she had, and what her family went through in great details to survive and doesn't miss one important fact about it. She describes the conditions of the camp well, and you would be surprised on some of the conditions of the camp that she went through. She tells the facts about how she made the best of the situation in order to get through the internment camp, but she then sees the suffering that her parents have to experience in order to stay alive. She also explains the effects that the experience of being in an interment camp had on her family.
Her dads name is Ko Wakatsuki, who was taken away for a year from his family and then loses his parental responsibilities. Her mother helped Jeanne get through the internment camp and was supportive to her. She gave her company and almost did everything with her. She also had a brother named Woody, who was the oldest son. He is a hard worker and an honest child. He is like another father to Jeanne.
When she goes to school she explains the exact words people said to her when she went to school. At the time people were pretty racist to her because she was Japanese, so you can imagine the hurtful words that her classmates spoke to her. The book basically talks about the adventures, ups, downs, friends she made, struggles and successes she had during the time when she was in the camp.
All in all I think this book is a fantastic book to read because it explains what really happened when she was in the internment camp. It not only talks about the conditions of the camp, it also explains the conditions of her family and the tragedies she had to face.
What do you think a seven year old girl in an interment camp would do? Well if you're curious to know the answer to that question, the answer lye’s within the pages of this book. The book will tell everything that you need to know. I recommend this book to 6th grade and up because there are some tricky words in the book that are hard to understand.

Chapter 13: Lord of the Flies

Chapter 13 Trenten Smith
Going Back To My Childhood
25 years later…
Ralph woke up in his comfortable, warm bed, with his soft brown blanket on top of him. His wife was sleeping near him, facing the window where the beautiful bay was, with her dirty blonde hair in front of him. Ralph got out of bed and went into his kid’s room, checking to see if his eight year old twins were doing well.
Ralph spoke, “They are so lucky that their childhood gets to go this way.”
Simon, Ralph’s son always had a resemblance to Ralph, as Owen always looked like his mom. Straight blonde hair with hazel eyes. Ralph tip-toed out of Owen and Simon’s room. Slowly he grabs the door and tries to shut it quietly.
“Squeak”, the door sounds.
He tries to shut it even slower so the squeaking sound does not continue. But it was too late.
Simon wakes up and says, “Daddy what are you doing?”
Ralph says, “Oh nothing, just checking up on you.”
Ralph goes out of their room quickly but quietly. He sits on the couch and watches television in his little modern style family room. Simon and Owen just woke up.
Simon says, “I feel like going to the park and playing football, don’t you Owen?”
Owen says, “Ya, I kind of do feel like playing football. Let’s go ask daddy.”
Simon runs out of his room yelling excitedly, “Daddy! Daddy!”, saying it a few times over and over again.
Simon is very excited and has a huge smile on his face, hoping the answers are yes. Owen is feeling the same way, but does not really care if he says yes or no.
Simon says, “Daddy where are you?”
Ralph yells, “In the family room!”
When Simon and Owen heard those words they quickly ran to the family room as fast as their little feet can go.
Owen says to Ralph, “Daddy can we go to the park today?”
Simon says, “Please, please can we go to the park today!”
Ralph responds, “What the heck, it sounds jolly good with me, lets hurry up and get dressed so we can go.”
Simon and Owen respond, “Okay,”
Simon says, “I’m ready daddy.”
Owen says “Me too.”
Ralph says, “Okay I will meet you outside, wait for me out there.”
Simon and Owen run out the door and sit at the bench next to the tall palm tree in the front yard. Ralph quickly runs out of the house.
Ralph says, “Sam, Eric.”
Owen asks, “Who are Sam and Eric?”
Ralph says, “Did I say Sam and Eric.”
Simon says, “Yes.”
Ralph says, “My bad, sorry.”
Simon says, “Let’s go daddy.”
They start walking to the park.
Simon says, “Where did you get Sam and Eric from?”
Ralph says, “Long story”.
Owen says, “Please tell us.”
Wanting to know with all of his attention on Ralph.
Simon says, “Yes, please tell us”.
Ralph says,“Ok fine.”
Ralph then goes and talks about his childhood and takes a deep breath. Remembering the moments during that time. Ralph goes on and speaks about his story.
In great detail Ralph says, “I was on a plane and it was during World War II. All of a sudden something hits the plane and cuts the plane in half. Our pilot died and we crash landed on an unknown island. I woke up and I found myself on an island on the shoreline, lying on the warm sand. After that a kid named Piggy came up to me and I was glad that I was not the one stuck on the island. We also met a kid named Simon. He was a very kind hearted kid that helped a lot of people and was nice and helpful to others. That is why I named him after you. I wanted to remember him.”
Ralph starts to cry and pauses. Standing on the sidewalk with Owen on the left side and Simon on the right.
Simon says, “Please continue daddy, please.”
Ralph continues the story, “Simon was very nice, but a kid named Jack and his hunters killed him. Jack was very mean and always wanted it his way. He thought that Simon was the beast so the killed him. It was raining that day and it was very hard to see.”
Ralph pauses and does not want to continue with the story.
He says, “I will tell you the story another day. I’m not in the mood.”
Simon says, “Please…”
Ralph screams out “Noo, I told you too much, you would not understand how sad that was. You have to be there to understand it.”
Ralph starts to cry and continues walking.
“Ralph says, “Lets just get to the park and have a great time, and play some ball!”

Final Post: Lord of the Flies

Jack's Journal
One big Kill!

I was in the forest looking for pig. Keeping my eyes open on green moving bushes. Looking at the boys colorful face paintings, like an Indian would where it. I look deeper and deeper into the forest with every step I take. I see no sign of activity. I started to creep up a little more into the forest. My group was silent with no sudden sounds. I hear something in the bushed. I then tell my group to be quiet. I hear something. I hear something scrunching up near a bush. I walk toward it. I was right behind it and it looked at me in fright and squealed and ran away. I started chasing it and it was no match for me. I raised my spear in the hot sun. Yelling and chanting. I then take a jump and kill it straight down the middle. The pigs last word was a squeal. All it was, was a little squeal. We all chanted and ran back to the Castle Rock with excitement. We started running through the tall tree's feeling delirious. The tall trees seemed to catch more shade. It felt really good and I felt like taking a break in the cool shade. But I couldn't there was a pig to cook. As soon as we got out of the tall shady trees we saw Piggy, Ralph and Sam N Eric all next to each other in a little group. I say to them what are you savages doing here. They say that they want Piggy's glasses back. Ralph told us that he could not see with out them. I wanted to laugh because I thought it was funny but I didn't. I really just wanted to let Piggy suffer. I never liked him I thought he was annoying and ignorant. So I said, No I will not give him his glasses back. Just let him suffer. He is a savage and annoying ignorant savage. Piggy then said, But I cant see with out my glasses. I am as blind as a bat. I cannot see anything. It is just a big blur. I then said, No. I will not give him back his glasses. Ralph then called me something so mean, something that surprised me the most. Something that I have never heard from someone else ever before. He called me a beat. An evil steeling beast. I was so furious that I could just rip him to parts. I was so mad that I threw my spear at him hoping that he would be in pain. He was hit in the ribs but looked like he had no feeling there at all. I jumped off the step that I was on and landed on Ralph. Punching and kicking him. His spear got me in the ear when I took the first punch. I started to feel the stinging of my cut. But tried to show no sign of being in pain. Ralph was hitting me truculently. But I tired punched him with all my might and tried hitting him like what a pro-wrestler would do. When we were fighting Piggy started blowing the conch. My group was laughing because we did not care about the conch anymore. We do not use that rule in my group. Piggy started yelling and said stop fighting. We then stopped and heard what he wanted to say. He talked about that we should stop fighting and to give back his glasses back. I saw Roger at the top of the cliff. Right below where Piggy was standing. He started to push the huge boulder down. Piggy was making a bug fuss about his glasses. All the sudden the boulder fell on Piggy. The conch exploded into a million pieces. Looking at each piece fly around Piggy. Piggy stood there for 3 seconds and fell backwards. Everything came cessationed. His eyes were open and his head was bleeding. He then rolled off the cliff and fell down in to the ocean. I did not think that it would actually hit him. I just wanted him to get scared so he could leave. I wanted to diddle him. I saw his red face drip and the water around him turned red instantly. Everyone was silent. Everyone started walking back toward the castle rock. Ralph stood their, and before you knew it Sam n Eric went with my group to. Now Ralph was all alone. Miserable in his group. We headed back to our group and everyone seemed like Piggy never died.

I was in my group. I started to elect leaders for certain positions. I told Sam N Eric to watch on guard. While the rest of the group feasts. Before they went to go do their job I gave them a piece of meat. They then run to their spots and watch guard. While me and the other hunters feast I talk about away to kill Ralph. I say to my group. Ralph is a savage. He disagrees with me and always thinks that everything he says is right. Well I don't. I am tired of him making us go through all this kayos. It is hard to deal with. So we have to end it once and for all. We have to make a cordon. But now lets go to bed and talk about it tomorrow. The next day early in the morning. I start torching Sam N Eric to tell me where Ralph was and if he got near our hide out. Sam N Eric told me that he was hiding but he does not know where. I tell them about our plan about killing Ralph. I tell him that we were going to surround the island and try to hunt them down. We started to get a move on it. We start from the Castle Rock working are way up to the end of the island. I start looking in the bushes and I start running deeper and deeper into the forest. I tell my troops to keep a good look our for him and what ever you do just kill. I get near a bushy field of flowers and smell the nice scented flowers. I then spot Ralph hiding in a thicket. I run with all my might and follow his every move. I then tell the troops around me to chase him down. I start chasing him and before I turned my head around he vanished. I started looking for him again. But this time the direction he ran. All I could say was I am not giving up until I hunt him down and once I do I will take his head and give it to the beastie.

Post #7: Lord of the Flies

Wait, It's not a beast!
Simon's Journal

I was on the ground in front of Lord of the Flies. My head down on the hard dirt with my hands on my stomach. I woke up and saw my knee bleeding. I was tangled up in a parachute, which was pulling and making it tighter and tighter on me and on every blow the tightness of the parachute was making the bad cut on my knee hurt and sting more and more. I untangled the parachute and with every bend in my knee I felt the painful sting of the cut. I untangle the parachute and made it purged. When the winded was getting strong and I felt a gust I let it free. Seeing it blow into the open air. Getting higher and higher in every gust. I looked back at the Lord of the Flies remembering what it said and how I was gonna have fun on the island. I was speaking with illumination. I thought all we did on the island was hear Jack and Ralph yell at each other. Saying that Jack and the hunters are not doing anything for our group. They were not helping out with the fire, they did not care about the huts or anything, all they did was hunt and not care about being saved. I also remembered the beast saying that he was the beast. I was confused. I think I am becoming barmy. How was he the beast? I thought the beast was a scary person that will attack you. The beast was theological. All he was, was a corpulent pig head on a stick. I started looking at his mouth. Looking at the blood dripping down into the dirt that was already covered in a puddle of blood. With its teeth as red as a red juicy apple and its mouth as wide as it could be. Looking at the tall wooden stick pummeled into the ground. I thought I was illusinating for a second because I thought it was impossible for me to be talking to a dead pig. The dead pig was dead and it does not know any words it just knows its language of words, and dead physical things do not talk. They just lay down. I thought that I was getting a fever or something. I then had enough of this nonsense. So I started walking. When I walked I felt the horrible pain on my knee. It felt like I was getting a cut all over again. On each step I took I felt it again and again. I suddenly gave up and I had no choice but to walk on all 4's. I put my hands on the dirt feeling the small pebbles smash into my hands. As my feet were in a very uncomfortable position. My heels up and my toes smashed on the ground. But I had no choice. It was either that or walking and feeling the horrible sting on my knee. I was walking and I was trying to figure out what I had to say to the others before I passed out. I started to think. But I could not grasp it. I started to walk some more and I felt a splinter go into my hand. Now I had to feel the splinter every time I put my hand down onto the bushy and grassy trail. I was in pain. All I wanted is to go back to my special place. I was still thinking. All the sudden I found what I was thinking for. As soon as I found it I also found Jack and Ralph and the rest of the survivors dancing and having a great time. I run on my hands and feet and yell out there is no beast it was just a dead man on the mountain. There is no beast. All they did was turn around and came toward me. They were all running toward me. I thought they were happy to see me because I passed out and I thought that they were worried sick about me. I yelled out again on my hands and feet, there is no beast it was just a dead man. All the sudden I see them pull out their spears and seeing them gaining speed. They were all rushing toward me. I wanted to runaway. But it was to late. Jack jumped on me and plunged the spear down my back. They were kicking and chanting. Were killing the beast. They were stabbing me with there pointy wooden spears. It was to late. I felt the terrible pain of my knee and then my back. My life was over and my eyes closed.

The Lord of the Flies: Post #6

Where's the Beast?
Piggy's Journal

I was laying down in the hot warm sand, hearing the waves crash. With my 2 hands on top of my stomach. I then heard Ralph call out in a loud voice meeting, meeting. Then I saw everyone run and gather up into a small, cramped circle. While people were mumbling with each other. I cut them all to be in front. Ralph yelled out again meeting, meeting to make the boys be quiet. We were all in the circle. Instead of Ralph speaking first it was Jack. He said that there was a real beast on top of the mountain. He is corpulent. He then also says that Ralph was a afraid ad that he should be removed from being leader and chief. Ralph looked upset and at the same time very mad. Jack seemed kind of happy. Jack told us to vote. He said raise your hands if you want Ralph to be leader. Everyone did not raise their hand. Jack gets furious and tells them that he will make his own group and whoever wanted to join him could join him. He looked furious. He kicked sand and ran off in tears going to his new spot on the island where his group is going to be. As Ralph here's of this, it seems like he can not get rid of Jack telling him that he was a coward and that Jack thought he could not take killing the beast. Ralph's head was lagging down so I say to him, you are not a coward. You are a great leader and that Jack just wants it his way. He is ridiculous if he thinks you cannot handle chief. If he was leader and chief he would create absolute kayos. I then told him that I have a brilliant idea. I tell him we could make another fire. Instead of on the mountain we could make one on the beach. We could use my specs again like last time and we could make are own taboo. It would be phosphorescence. I talked to Ralph about what he is gonna do in his group. He is probably going to hunt and kill and not care about being rescued. We then go back to our old campus and talking about the survivors that left our group. All the sudden we here Jacks group sneak up on our group yelling and stealing everything that we got. They steal our burning fire sticks. I see everyone take our fire. While Ralph and I were yelling and saying back off thats are's. All they really did was ignore us and laughed. Then the fled. Making us very very angry. While me and Ralph are talking about how idiotic Jack's group was. I say were's Simon. Did he go with Jack's group. I say to myself. No he could not possibly go with Jack's group he is to nice to ditch us like that. He is to demure. We then talk about how Jack is being so rude to us and that we are doing so much for him. We are making sure that we get saved, Wouldn't he rather get saved then to be hunting. I said that he at least thought of us and shared with us what he hunted. Ralph told me that he thought that he was kind of rude when I hit a pig. He thought it was not even an accomplishment for me. He thought that was a piece of cake. He thought Ralph could actually hunted it down. He was just a prefect. I said to Ralph, I bet they are hunting the beast down or they are killing the pig. We then go off on another subject. We talk about if we are actually going to get saved. Or if we are just going to stay on this island forever. I think that we are going to get saved. We already saw a boat on the horizon. That boat probably saw us. And on the way they are going to get help. I know that we are gonna get save. Ralph said in a sad attitude. You think so. Of course I say of course.

Lord of the Flies: Post #5

Did you see that?
Ralph's Journal

I was in a good sleep. My eyes completely shut snoozing into a good dream. All the sudden Sam and Eric come up to me and was flailing my arm like it was a jump rope. They yelled out in fear, Ralph, Ralph, I think we saw a beastie. I thought it was just a little nightmare they had and they thought that they saw the beastie. Sam and Eric told me they whole story. They said that they were ridiculously tired so they fell asleep. They could not keep their little eyes peeled open. When they woke up they saw a beastie, and came running down to you. After I heard that story I called a meeting. I discuss that many people have seen this beastie, and I was tired of hearing of it. It is spreading everybody with fear. Now we are going to hunt it down. I organize an expedition to search for the beastie. I said that we will go to a part of the island that we have never been before and search for the beastie from there. My group was walking in the big plants and they hard dirt when we see a cave near some big plants. I was amazed. It was a big rocky brown colored cave with big plants around it. On the way up, I noticed that Jack was not being mean to me anymore. It was like he gave up trying to get the throne to be leader. He was actually nice to me. When I noticed that he was being nice to me, I also noticed that the other survivors were pushing down big heavy boulders down the hill. I yell at them that we need to be focusing on getting the fire back on. We gotta be focusing on getting the fire and the smoke creating so we could escape this terrible island. After we said that Jack lead us back down the island. We wanted to spread the news that we found a cave.

I was walking down the beach kicking the hot sand. Sometimes making drawings with my feet. Seeing guano every where. I was thinking about how the ocean's horizon was just a huge wall that was blocking my and the other boys dreams of escaping this island. The ocean's horizon looked interminable. Simon was right by me. I said to Simon. Do you ever think that we might be stuck here forever. Do you think we might never me rescued. Simon said with a nice heartwarming voice. Of course you will make it home. Of course you will be rescued. I then smiled and said you think so. He said I reassure you, that you will be rescued. Soon after I had the little talk with Simon it was time to be hunting for the beastie. I went into the jungle looking for the beastie. It was quiet. I saw a plant move. I griped my spear really tightly while my hands were sweating. All the sudden a huge boar comes out of the bushes. I threw they sphere as fast as I could. But I missed. It was the most exciting things I have ever did. I hit it I hit it. I hit the boar. I was repeating it with pride and with accomplishment. I almost killed the pig. I hit the boar. I yelled it to everybody. Jack was dun. But the boar escapes. I reenact the big chase. A boy name Robert was the playing the role of the boar. My hands were griped, hands sweating. When we were playing that scene it was starting to get dark. But still excited that I hit a boar. After we were done playing the scene I call to the group we will hunt the beast tomorrow morning for sure. Jack comes up to me with pride and says do you want to challenge me in the hunt to kill the beastie. I definitely agree. Almost killing that boar was very exciting. I felt like I actually accomplished something. I go up to Roger and Jack and say do you want to try to find the beastie. Of course they agree. Me, Jack and Roger start to climb the mountain. When we were almost at the top we see a huge dark ape figured shadow. I was freaking out. Jack looked bravado. Same with Roger. My hands were getting sweaty my hear pounding hard. I wanted to just scream and run back down to the beach. I hear pounding. I was hearing it getting louder with my mind. Me, Jack and Roger saw and heard enough. We screamed all the way down the mountain and warned the others that there was a scary ape beastie that pounds his chest really hard. I was terrified. I could not get that image out of my head. I could not get the pounding thunder like pounds out of my head. I was terrified.

Lord of the Flies: Post #4

I Should've stayed with the Fire!
Chapter 5: Jack's Journal

I was in the jungle with my hunters trying to look for pig. My eyes peeled and ready to kill. All the sudden I hear the loud conch being blowned down from below. Me and my hunters quickly run down to the beach getting ready for one of Ralph's boring meetings. We all gathered up in a circle. Ralph started the meeting. He was talking about how we ignored the fire. He said that we could not make anymore fires on the beach. The only fire we had was the fire that was on the mountain. If we wanted to cook something. We had to cook it on the mountain. I thought that was ludicrous and that we should be aloud to make a fire on the beach. I really did not want to walk all they way up the hill with a dead pig and cook it. That would be a lot of work or me. I almost wanted to say something but I did not. I already caused a bunch a trouble as it is. So I tried to act decorum.He also talked about that we did not even use the right bathroom. We did not go to the bathroom in the right area. I thought that was stupid to because this is just an island. Who cares if we did not go the right area to use the bathroom. It is just an island. He also talked about how we were not helping Ralph building the huts. I said to myself, Well I couldn't Ralph I was feeding our group. You guys would be starving without me. I was saying it in a jeeringly attitude. But I did not say it to him. I said it quietly in my head. I thought it was not true. I was to helping. Not building huts, but by hunting and feeding my group an you. Then he talked about the beastie. He said that we could not be afraid of the beastie anymore. I said quietly, I am not afraid of the beastie. They beastie is just a little monster that scares the little ones. Ralph continued saying that we could not be afraid of the monster to the little ones. Then a little kid said that he seen the beastie before. Ralph said where do you think the beastie would hide at night. I said to myself. This is stupid. There is no beastie. The littlun also said that it comes out of the ocean at night. This was a long boring assembely. At first the littluns were effigy. Now because Ralph said that they had to get rid of that fear, they could not, and they tried really hard to get a rid of the terrible fear. I say to Ralph and the others that me and my hunters will kill the beastie. I then went with my hunters to the jungle to find that beastie. While my hunters were chanting behind me. I also heard some of the littluns lamentationing behind me. Probably because of the beastie. So I walk into the green jungle in search for the beastie that the little ones are afraid of.